Green Shadow
by Tazzmania Tygar
Summary: In a dark and uncertain time, a girl discovers the powers hidden within herself...
1. Gold Eagle

Disclaimer: I do not own X men. This story actually started out as an English thing but with a bit of adaptation I reckon it will be an ok mutant story. why don't you tell me?  
  
GREEN SHADOW 1. Gold Eagle  
  
Kelsey was an orphan.  
  
She was alone, unknown, a ward of the state. She was just another child of the system.  
  
Another one of those stories you cry over and then do nothing to help.  
  
Only she was different. Kelsey grew up with a burning desire to be rich and famous and show her birth parents what they were missing out on. She had been fostered out to a few families but that had never lasted long enough for her to grasp that feeling of belonging so many kids took for granted.  
  
It wasn't as if she was ugly. She had shoulder length copper hair, white unmarked skin that just never seemed to tan, a good figure because she was very active and full, ruby red lips. She had a nice personality, wasn't emotionally demanding and had more than her fair share of elegance and grace.  
  
The problem was, Kelsey realised, that not many people could handle her confidence (which, at times, was better described as arrogance) her style or her attitude. Another thing that people in general didn't like were her eyes. They were a fierce copper-gold that burned like pools of molten lava. Apparently she scrutinised people as if she could see into their souls, or even see right through them.  
  
Apparently that made people very nervous.  
  
To Kelsey that was all right; she wasn't much of a people person anyway. She had another quality that made up for all of that. This quality seemed to be one of a kind. This quality set her apart from the rest of the kids around her. Not many kids had supernatural powers, after all. 


	2. Black Cat

Disclaimer: I do not own X men. This story actually started out as an English thing but with a bit of adaptation I reckon it will be an ok mutant story. why don't you tell me?  
  
2. Black Cat  
  
The year was 2005 and Kelsey Lulabel Chance (so named by the woman who found her) was left in a basket on the doorstep of the Reginald Chance Foundation, an orphanage in the city. At the time, Kelsey was just a baby. Her age was debateable since nobody could find any records of her birth whatsoever. The baby was wearing an emerald necklace, had an ebony and jade hairclip in her tuft of copper hair and had a tattoo on her right arm. There was a tiny nose stud in the left side of her nose. There was a business card poked into the weaving of the wicker basket. There was only one word written on the card and that word was Kelsey. 


	3. green python

Disclaimer: I do not own X men. This story actually started out as an English thing but with a bit of adaptation I reckon it will be an ok mutant story. why don't you tell me?  
  
3. Green Python  
  
Kelsey discovered her powers in the year 2018. The world was not a safe place to be. The crime rate was growing, the amount of "human trash" or bums on the streets was growing and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Disease and hardship ran rampage, violence was part of life and technology had taken over where human labour had once been used. The power structures of the world's great nations were corrupt and rotten to the core. Most endangered animals had died out due to poaching and loss of habitat. One day, when Kelsey was thirteen-ish, some of the orphans and Kelsey were watching television. A news report interrupted the daytime movie- this old movie called the Matrix reloaded- and amongst the other orphans protests Kelsey listened to what the dour- faced presenter was saying. The presenter announced that the sole survivor of a horrific car crash, a three year old boy, had disappeared from the scene of the tragedy and could anyone who had any information about his whereabouts please tell authorities as soon as possible?  
  
Wow, Kelsey thought, another orphan.  
  
Then she realised something important.  
  
"I know where that kid is!" She exclaimed suddenly, much to the surprise of her fellow orphans. She jumped up and ran into the kitchen where she promptly called the police. Fifteen minutes later, a patrol car arrived to pick her up. Kelsey guided the two officers-a Mr Nelson and Mr Hahn- through a seedy part of town. Finally she stopped them in front of a dark alley where she knew for sure that the little boy was. 


	4. Orange Dog

Disclaimer: I do not own X men. The X men parts come a little later. This story actually started out as an English hero story in March 2002. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Orange dog  
  
Kelsey and the officers cautiously got out of the car. Kelsey got more than a little nervous when she noticed that both officers had their hands hovering over their holsters. It was getting dark, and the place smelt like rotting fruit and urine. Kelsey wrinkled her nose in disgust.  
  
Gripped by a wave of pure worry for the little boy, she ran down the alley. In the dim light of a half-broken streetlight She saw three figures standing around a vague shape on the ground.  
  
Suddenly, Kelsey heard gunshots behind her and she threw herself to the ground, covering her head with her hands. She rolled into a space between two overflowing rubbish bins.  
  
Turning awkwardly in her hiding place, she saw four dark shapes on the ground. She gulped and turned back to her more immediate problem. Concentrate on the kid, she told herself firmly.  
  
She looked at the three thugs and the kid. As she was watching, one of the thugs kicked the little boy hard in the ribs and laughed. That made her red with fury.  
  
Boy, would I like to be a really big, really strong animal right about now. Like a Buffalo. Yeah. Then I could teach them a lesson.  
  
Shaking with anger, she took a few steps forward. Her left leg. Her right leg. Her other left leg. Her other left leg?  
  
"What the.?"Kelsey whispered, but it came out "fffrrrhhhooorrr!" I'm a Buffalo! She realised. Kelsey tried to smile, but obviously Buffalos can't, so that endeavour was quickly abandoned.  
  
She charged.  
  
"What in God's name is that?" Her sensitive Buffalo ears heard, just before she collided with something soft and squishy that popped like an overripe tomato.  
  
Even God won't help you now, Kelsey thought grimly, but I'm about to show you the light. Careful not to hurt the little boy that lay at her hooves, she turned around and bellowed into the other men's faces. They ran away like bats out of hell. Deciding not to follow them was the hardest decision she'd ever had to make but Kelsey couldn't just leave the boy.  
  
She turned around to face the boy. Even her weak Buffalo eyes could see that he was deathly pale. She concentrated on him and found herself shrinking, but at the same time standing upright.  
  
She picked up the little boy and touched his cheek. His skin was cold as ice. Kelsey the girl carried him to the police car, but she glanced at herself in the rear view mirror briefly she could have sworn that her skin was green, there were strange markings on her body and she was wearing jewellery she had never seen before. 


	5. White Cockatoo

Disclaimer: I do not own X men. The X men parts come a little later. This story actually started out as an English hero story in March 2002. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
White Cockatoo  
  
Kelsey used the little walkie-talkie thing in the police car to call for help. She settled back to wait, but it wasn't long before there were police everywhere.  
  
There was a huge drama but on the plus side, officers Nelson and Hahn were not dead, as she had previously thought. They were wounded, Hahn shot in the chest and Nelson in the lower torso. A man had been ripped apart and Kelsey was buried in guilt until she remembered what the man had been doing when she had hit him.  
  
Kelsey learned that the two other shapes that she had seen were drug dealers. The police officers had interrupted a drug deal accidentally and been shot for their troubles.  
  
The little boy was removed from Kelsey's care and she felt a tug at her heart as he was wheeled into an ambulance. She hoped that he would be alright, but knew she could do no more for him.  
  
She was sitting in the back of an ambulance with a blanket around her, clutching a mug of coffee. When a police officer walked past, Kelsey asked her politely, "Look, could someone please take me back to the orphanage? I've got school in the morning."  
  
The policewoman looked at Kelsey like she had just sprouted horns so Kelsey patted her head just to make sure that she hadn't anything out of the ordinary on the top of her head.  
  
After the police had taken Kelsey's statement, which said that "the big scary men were terrorising the little boy" and "they hit me, I blacked out and they were gone." She was reluctantly allowed to leave. Kelsey was a really bad liar, and she didn't think the police really bought her story but there was nothing much she could do about that. She couldn't very well tell them the truth, could she?  
  
The police took her back to the orphanage. By this time it was after nine o'clock. She went through the motions of getting ready for bed, too tired to think.  
  
It was only when she was lying on her bed in the dark that she really contemplated what had happened. She had rescued a little boy. She had turned into a buffalo. She had beaten up the baddies and become a hero. She'd also become very tired, so she went to sleep.  
  
A few days later, the little boy's relatives contacted her. They thanked her profusely and told her that they would bring the little boy to visit her regularly. His name was Dennis Roberts, they said. He had two sets of grandparents and numerous aunts and uncles. Kelsey tried her best not to be jealous but she still felt the bitterness. Sure, little Dennis would never know his parents, but at least he still had a family.  
  
Kelsey had to be content with the fact that she got a few days off school. 


	6. blue fox

~~~okies, so I got over the whole weird title thing. I ran out of animals and colours. Oh well.~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After a short period of fame, Kelsey returned to her regular world, where she was an unknown orphan. It was a familiar and comfortable existence.  
  
Kelsey experimented with her newfound powers. She kept quiet about them, judging the danger correctly. Over in America some politician was pushing for mutant registration policies and Kelsey felt more alone in the world than she ever had before. It was with this attitude Kelsey trudged to school each morning.  
  
On one such morning, Kelsey was late for school. She had slept in once again, plagued by terrifying nightmares. These days, Kelsey only attended school for science and especially biology lessons. It was much easier to become an animal if you knew how its body was formed. Being no scholar, she was gaining terrible marks in subjects such as English and math. In physical education, however, she was going harder, faster and stronger than ever before.  
  
Walking to school alone in the morning was an eerie thing to do. There was heavy fog and very little light. Kelsey always walked on constant alert, and it was with such attention to her surroundings that she heard a voice calling for help. Knowing that she should go on her own way for safety's sake but having her conscience and nature go against her, she instantly followed the voice. It was a frail voice, punctuated by thuds. Kelsey moved quickly through the twisting and turning alleyways. Her eyes gleamed gold and feline in the scarce light. She was taking on feline characteristics and with those characteristics came feline instincts. This was her neighbourhood; her territory. No-one but her hunted on HER territory and got away with it.  
  
She turned one last corner and her resolve burned brighter in her than anything else. A huge- and unbelievably ugly- man stood above a cowering and weeping old woman. He was holding an imitation leather purse high, chuckling coldly. "Makes you feel big and strong, does it?" Kelsey asked silkily. The ogre of a man spun around when he heard her voice; he was too slow. She wasn't behind him anymore, she was now in between him and his victim. "Do you get some sort of sick pleasure attacking old ladies, or are you just some sort of freak?" she hissed, crouching low, similar to a big cat as it is about to strike. It was now, with her face covered with fine fur and her eyes like slits that she had a proper look at the man. He had long, sandy hair, long, curled claws and black eyes. He opened his mouth to reveal long and sharp fangs and growled. Kelsey, unimpressed, replied to this challenge bravely. "That's great. What do they call you? Big, smelly and hairy maybe? No, that's too flattering." He opened his monstrous jaws wider and growled again. "They call me. Sabretooth." And with that, he launched himself at her. Predictable, Kelsey thought. Got a lot of firepower but no brains to back it all up. She was ready for him. Now a fully formed lioness, she swiped at him with curved claws at a phenomenal speed and he staggered back, a deep cut in his cheek. She roared a challenge and he stared at her for a moment. Then he turned tail and ran. Turning back to her human form, Kelsey hurried to the old woman's side. "I have to get you to a hospital!" Kelsey said, horrified. "No," the old woman croaked. "You can't. I would be discovered. Besides, I will heal- and soon. Watch." Kelsey stared at the multiple bruises. She was astonished when they healed before her eyes. "Who are you?" she said in wonder. "I am no-one," the old woman said wisely. "You, however. you are the future." Kelsey frowned. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be the future. It didn't sound very good. "I don't understand." She said, confused. "One day, you will." The woman said. "Would you mind escorting me home, dear? My amazing healing powers are no match against the awesome powers of aging. or even attackers." "That man was a mutant." Kelsey said as they started to walk. It wasn't a question. "He was one of us, dear." The old woman said kindly. "some choose to use their powers for evil. Some choose to help people." she smiled. "My name is Pearl." The old woman introduced. "I thank you for your hope." "I am Kelsey. And you're welcome." 


	7. brown bear

Disclaimer: I do not own X-men. Wish I did. But I don't. A little note: I WILL have more X-men characters in here, later. But the idea is that this is a fanfic, which means I am writing this as a fan of the concept. It does not have to be about the x-men characters. So phooey.  
  
Chappie seven! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kelsey walked Rosa home. It wasn't far to go and Kelsey was worried about the big guy skulking around her neighbourhood. She kept her eyes on her surroundings at all times. Kelsey couldn't sense anyone watching but you just never knew in this town. Even the best animals were sometimes mistaken.  
  
They came to Rosa's house and Kelsey was invited inside for a cold drink. The next thing she knew, she was being shaken awake.  
  
"Hey, you slept like a log," Rosa said, smiling softly.  
  
"What time is it?" Kelsey asked, wiping sleep from her eyes.  
  
"It's about two- thirty in the afternoon. How do you feel? Your shape shifting must have worn you out." Rosa helped her stand. She had been slumped over the coffee table and she saw, guiltily, that she had drooled in her sleep.  
  
"I'll get you some nice chamomile tea." Rosa bustled off into the sunny, cosy kitchen. Kelsey cringed. She hated chamomile tea.  
  
Looking around the living room, she saw lots of photos and flowers and balls of wool; Stereotype old-lady stuff. But as she bent to see a photo more clearly, she saw something that didn't fit in with the rest of the décor. It was a PlayStation 5 Console. She stiffened immediately.  
  
Suddenly, an arm went around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides. Another hand was pressed against her mouth. Kelsey's instincts flew to the front of her brain. Danger! Run! Shouted a few. Still more told her to fight to the death. Then she was hit by a wave of protective feeling. Rosa was in trouble! Invaders in her home! Kelsey would not run. She could not leave Rosa.  
  
"Who are you, and what are you doing in my grandmother's house?" growled a deep voice. Kelsey relaxed, and then stiffened again as the arms pinned her tighter. Underneath the hand that bound her mouth, she smirked. Whoever this person was, they were picking on the wrong person. Not today, when her adrenaline was still running so high.  
  
Suddenly, Kelsey wrenched herself out of her would- be captor's arms and twisted around to punch him in the stomach. He fell to the ground with a gasp.  
  
"Now, what kind of way is that to greet to person who saved your grandmother's life?" Kelsey asked the wheezing boy, eyebrow raised.  
  
He pulled himself up by the arm of the chair and struggled to stand up straight. Kelsey had her first proper look at the guy.  
  
He was very tall with broad shoulders. He couldn't have been much older than her and yet he had a serious and mature air about him. He had brown hair and deep hazel eyes. He looked streetwise, with a scar splitting his left eyebrow in half and big, strong-looking, Fighter's hands, accompanied by big, strong- looking muscles. He was wearing a school uniform and a scowl.  
  
"You did what for my grandmother?" he asked, glaring suspiciously.  
  
"This young lady here saved my life." Rosa said, bustling out with three cups of steaming hot chocolate.  
  
"Sorry, dear." She said to Kelsey. "I seem to have run out of chamomile."  
  
"What a shame." Kelsey replied with a grin.  
  
"How? When?" The boy fired at Rosa. He turned to Kelsey. "Why?" he asked.  
  
"This is my Grandson, Adrian." Rosa explained to Kelsey. "He sometimes gets a little too overprotective of an old bird like me."  
  
"You're not old," Adrian and Kelsey said at the exact same time. Adrian's eyes widened and Kelsey grinned. 


	8. silver salmon

Chappie 8 I do not own X-men, yada yada yada.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kelsey stood, looking at herself in the bathroom mirror for the longest time. She sighed and turned on the tap. She splashed her face with the cool water and glared at herself again. Rosa was, at this very moment, telling the scowling Adrian of the morning's events.  
  
"Jour de départ." Kelsey muttered to herself in French. "Day of the start." She had a suspicious feeling that Rosa and Adrian would feature quite heavily in her future Life.  
  
She went back into the quaint little living room. Rosa was sitting on the couch, Calmly sipping out of a little pink mug while Adrian paced the room, having left his hot chocolate untouched.  
  
Kelsey sat next to Rosa and sipped out of her own mug. Since her first shape shift, her senses had all become much stronger. She could smell the cocoa and the sugar and water separately. She could hear the hot chocolate running down Rosa's throat. She could see the sweat coming out of each individual pore on Adrian's face.  
  
"So. you're a mutant, then." Adrian asked Kelsey conversationally.  
  
"Yes." Kelsey replied simply, sipping out of her mug.  
  
"That's nice." Adrian said absent-mindedly. He stared at the wall. Kelsey studied him closely. His hair was very short, but soon it would be a lovely brown. His eyes seemed to change colours in different lights, but they always seemed angry. Except, of course, when he looked at his Grandmother. He clearly doted on the lovely old woman though she seemed happily unaware of his devotion. It was clear in the way that Rosa had patted Adrian's hand comfortingly that she thought the world about him.  
  
"What?" Adrian asked Kelsey. "Huh?" Kelsey replied, jolted out of her stupor.  
  
"You were staring." He didn't need to add the "at me" to the end of the sentence.  
  
"I'm sorry. I was wondering. are you a mutant?" Kelsey blurted. She eyed him as he hesitated over his answer.  
  
"Yes." He finally replied. " I certainly am."  
  
"Can I ask what powers you have?" She raised an eyebrow.  
  
"No." Adrian replied. Rosa nudged him, frowning. He rolled his eyes.  
  
"Fine, alright. Let's say I have a close relationship with the earth." He crossed his arms.  
  
"Example?" Kelsey prompted. Adrian wouldn't answer.  
  
"Alright, you overgrown brat, if you want to sulk that's your problem. But what I'm asking for is a little bit of information. Seeing as you already know all about my powers, and me I thought it would be fair if you told me about yours.  
"However, if you want to discredit me by refusing my existence, then I will take my leave." Kelsey snapped, setting her mug down and leaping to her feet.  
  
" It was lovely meeting you, Rosa. I hope that one day we will speak again." And with that, Kelsey marched out of the little house, tugging her school blazer on.  
  
As she was denying the compulsion to cry, Kelsey heard fast footprints along the pavement behind her.  
  
"Wait already!" she heard. Slowly she turned around.  
  
"I'm sorry, ok? I didn't mean to make you angry." Adrian appealed. "It's just. I felt small."  
  
"You felt small?" Kelsey replied. Looking up at him, the last thing anyone would imagine he felt was small. He towered over Kelsey. "Yeah. Today, some deranged mutant attacked the person I love most in the world. The problem is, I wasn't there! I couldn't protect her. You had to save her. That's why I felt small, inadequate." Adrian was looking at the ground.  
  
"You felt. like I was taking your place!" Kelsey realised.  
  
"Yes." Adrian replied sullenly.  
  
"Do you realise just how much Rosa loves you? No-one could ever take your place with her." Kelsey told him softly. Adrian looked up.  
  
"Really?" he perked up.  
  
"Definitely." Kelsey grinned.  
  
The truce having been made, Adrian starting walking with Kelsey.  
  
"Hey, have I got any chance of a demonstration of your powers?" Adrian jokingly asked. Kelsey stiffened, sniffing the air.  
  
"You might just." She murmured, peering around.  
  
"Who is it?" Adrian asked urgently.  
  
"The proper question is, 'What' is it-" Kelsey started to say. A mighty roar filled the air and Kelsey shoved Adrian to the side and sprang into action, transforming into an Adult male Bengal Tiger.  
  
Sabretooth leapt from the rooftop directly above them. Kelsey was on him in a second. He cannot withstand my attack, Kelsey thought overconfidently. However, it was overconfidence that caused her downfall, and Sabretooth soon had the upper hand.  
  
As she lay on the ground with Sabretooth's clawed hands around her neck Kelsey came back into her human body. She was much too weak to re-transform and she was losing life fast.  
  
Then, suddenly, a welcome sight- Adrian was on his knees, hands pressed in the earth.  
  
The ground shook and trembled! Sabretooth snarled as he rolled away from Kelsey, who turned to her side, coughing.  
  
Adrian wasn't finished. Out of the earth came a long sinewy vine tendril. It wrapped around the huge man's left leg and lifted him high into the air.  
  
"Get out of here! Stay away from this town or there will be more of this. And we'll always win!" Adrian yelled up at him. The vine shook about and then tossed the big man onto a far away rooftop.  
  
"Are you alright?" Adrian asked a gasping Kelsey.  
  
"Yes," She wheezed. "Thanks."  
  
"Don't mention it." Adrian replied, grinning. He helped her to her feet. 


	9. purple panther

Chappie 9, I don't own X-men, you know the drill, blah, blah, blah.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When they finally made it to the orphanage, a little worse for wear, Adrian turned to Kelsey.  
  
"I'm going out tonight to a club that plays all these great retro songs with a group of friends. You want to come?" He asked.  
  
"Sure. but won't your friends mind?" Kelsey replied anxiously.  
  
"Well, I think you'll fit in. So, is that a yes?" Adrian nudged her.  
  
"Yes." Kelsey grinned.  
  
"Great. Meet you right here under this tree tonight at nine." Adrian winked. "See you tonight!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kelsey walked into her room and lay, smiling, on her bed.  
  
"Well, well." A voice mocked. Kelsey shot upright.  
  
"What do you want?" She scowled at the three girls at her door. Shanka, Lanette and Jenny each wore an identical smirk. The other three girls her age at the orphanage, they had ignored Kelsey for much of their lives. Not that Kelsey cared; she could live without their endless giggling.  
  
"We saw you with that guy," Lanette taunted.  
  
"Is he your boyfriend?" Jenny wanted to know. "Because he's hot."  
  
"So if he isn't your boyfriend, will you introduce him to us?" Shanka simpered.  
  
"I met him today! He's just a friend." Kelsey snapped.  
  
"So. doing anything tonight?" Jenny asked slyly.  
  
"Yes, I'm going. to a friend's house." Kelsey lied.  
  
"Your friend that you just met today?" Shanka raised her eyebrows.  
  
"No, to a friend named Rosa's house. Adrian just might take me there. After all, these streets aren't safe at night." Or any other time, don't I know it, Kelsey thought. "Now, will you please just go away?"  
  
"Adrian." the three girls muttered, grinning at each other.  
  
Kelsey groaned as they left the room.  
  
At Nine o'clock, Kelsey walked out of the orphanage. She was wearing skin- tight patterned bronze and green hipster jeans and a green corset like- top with spaghetti straps. The night was warm enough and there was no need of a jacket.  
  
With a Thirty-dollar note down her top and her hair brushed to gleaming perfection, Kelsey strolled to the tree. Her bronze eyes scanned the scene.  
  
Under the tree Adrian waited. He was wearing a white non-sleeved top and baggy denim jeans.  
  
They saw each other and grinned.  
  
"You better get ready for this." Adrian told her. 


	10. Grey Elephant

Chappie 10, don't own x-men, etc and so forth.  
  
They left, talking softly.  
  
Adrian led her to a dirty, harsh part of the city. There was hardly anyone about. Kelsey peered into one particular alley as they strolled along. She knew it well; she visited it every night in her dreams. It was the alley where she had first discovered her powers.  
  
Kelsey felt compelled to tell Adrian about her first ever experience of her powers. Curiously, they were beginning to open up to each other. It had been so long since Kelsey had had a friend. She didn't usually just jump into offers from strangers to go out. Her compulsive agreement would either end in tears or laughter.  
  
After what seemed very short because of the enrapturing conversation, Adrian stopped in front of a factory door and knocked three times, paused; knocked twice and then once more.  
  
The door swung open. It led into a hallway that led to a flight of stairs that seemed to go down forever. Kelsey still couldn't hear any music and was becoming quite doubtful when Adrian finally stopped in front of a big wooden door.  
  
"I don't normally ask people to hang out with us on the spur of the moment, you know." Adrian turned to her and admitted.  
  
"I don't normally accept offers to hang out on the spur of the moment, either." Kelsey shot back. Adrian grinned, and opened the door.  
  
Suddenly, the noise was deafening. "Whoa!" Kelsey shouted, stumbling. Her sensitive ears began to throb.  
  
"You'll get used to it." Adrian grinned.  
  
"Is that a promise, or a threat?" Kelsey grumbled. Adrian couldn't hear.  
  
The club was huge, consisting of three levels. The top level had a glass floor so that the dancers could see the people on the bottom level. The second level was a thick balcony that looked over the first floor, which had strobe floors and a huge display of digital theatre- light shows, three dimensional video dj's, incredible pictures. Underneath the balconies of the second level were booths were friends could meet and have drinks.  
  
Adrian seized Kelsey's hand and off they went, weaving through the gyrating dancers. Kelsey moved to the beat. She hadn't heard these songs in a long time. She saw Adrian glance back at her and grin.  
  
"This is great!" she mouthed.  
  
Finally, they made it to a booth on the other side of the club.  
  
"What do you call this place?" Kelsey yelled.  
  
"They call it 'Stand up' because you're not supposed to be sitting while the music is playing. Which is always!" Adrian yelled back. They slid into an empty booth and selected their drinks on a digi-screen. Kelsey was amazed that she was able to buy alcohol so easily. Then again, she did seem to be one of the youngest in the place.  
  
Suddenly, Kelsey felt out of her depth. She didn't know this place; this person. Could she protect herself? How could she know if this boy had bad intentions?  
  
Then- a surge of confidence. She'd always been able to protect herself before. This was a time to kick back and- dare she think it?- relax. As soon as she'd grinned at Adrian, however, there was a voice at her ear.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" a sharp voice demanded. Kelsey looked up to see a pale girl wearing a black beanie over blonde plaits.  
  
"Lay off, Tazu." Adrian said quickly. "Guys, this is Kelsey." Kelsey looked at them. There were three boys and the pale girl- Tazu- staring at her. Once again, Kelsey felt out of her depth.  
  
"Er- hi." She said by way of greeting.  
  
"Hmmpht!" Tazu muttered and slid in beside Adrian. Kelsey noticed how close she shuffled and Adrian's seeming ignorance.  
  
A boy with frizzy orange hair and tanned skin squashed in beside Kelsey.  
  
"I'm Ignatio." He said, smiling. Kelsey couldn't help but smile back- his grin was infectious.  
  
An African-American boy with short, spiky hair sat beside Ignatio.  
  
"I'm Petri." He said, gazing at her with soulful brown eyes.  
  
The last boy- who had bright, flurescant blue hair, sat next to Tazu, who was scowling at the table.  
  
"Orion's the title." He shook her hand, smiling.  
  
"Pleased to meet you." Kelsey didn't want to show how nervous she was. She hoped her voice wasn't shaking. What if they didn't like her?  
  
You'll just go back to before, a little voice whispered. Nothing will change.  
  
"Where'd you find her?" Ignatio was saying to Adrian. Looking at Kelsey, Adrian smiled. "Rosa found her. Or, more specifically, she found Rosa."  
  
Tazu looked from Kelsey to Adrian. "So what's she doing here?" Tazu snarled. "Look at her- she'll be nothing but trouble."  
  
"Get stuffed! How the hell would you know, you tosser?" Kelsey launched. She wouldn't sit back and take that crap from anyone. Least of all someone with PLAITS.  
  
Tazu looked shocked. "See? You have some nerve, coming in here and insulting me..."  
  
"Yeah, that's one thing I've got in abundance. Nerve. Guess what? I have enough nerve to take you out back and kick your sorry-" Kelsey began to shoot back.  
  
"Stop." Adrian held up a commanding hand. "We dance." He offered a hand to Tazu, who glared at Kelsey with satisfaction.  
  
"You heard the man." Orion whooped. They all jumped up and made their way to the dance floor, Ignatio leading Kelsey. Kelsey looked around. Everyone was dancing in similar styles. Yeah, she thought. I can do this.  
  
She rolled her shoulders and spun in time with the music. Ignatio whooped, and mirrored her moves. Kelsy began to get into the pulsating music and she lost herself to the music. Then a song came on and Kelsey found herself dancing with Adrian, who was a good dancer, surprisingly.  
  
She slung her hands around his neck and rolled her hips. He grinned, eyes on her hips.  
  
"When I move you move- just like that?" The song was getting inside Kelsey's head. Adrian Pushed forward and she leant back- then she pushed forward and he leaned back. They rolled their bodies together in the beat.  
  
"This song is the theme for the club. It's called 'stand up' its by a rapper called Ludacris. Most of all, it's a call for couples to get down together and when this song comes on, you have to find a partner." Adrian said in her ear.  
  
Kelsey raised an eyebrow at him and he spun her around. She caught a glance of Tazu's face- the other girl looked livid with anger. Tazu was dancing with a boy Kelsey didn't know and he seemed to be enjoying the song. Kelsey noted, with interest, that all of Adrian's friends were good dancers.  
  
It was a long time before Kelsey stumbled off the floor. She was having a good time- and even Tazu had begun to accept her presence.  
  
It had been a long day. Kelsey had had no idea that making friends was such hard work. She smiled to herself. These friends were worth having.  
  
Then a thought popped into her mind-  
  
Were they all Mutants too? 


End file.
